


Paper Faces On Parade

by BenevolentIncubus



Category: Pegoryu - Fandom, Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Costume Parties & Masquerades, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-26 02:12:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17133098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BenevolentIncubus/pseuds/BenevolentIncubus
Summary: The King of the Ikreatus Kingdom has heard of the great Phantom Thief but believes him to be a thief of treasures such as riches therefore he thinks that should this thief ever come to the Kingdom it would be to steal some sort of riches/object of great value from him which he is well prepared for. However, the thief has no interest in stealing riches from the King, he is instead planning on stealing something far more valuable. The young Prince Ryuji's heart is his target and he plans to steal it at the upcoming ball for he is not a thief of gold or objects. He is a Phantom Thief of Hearts.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfiction and all of its chapters are a Secret Santa gift for Milk!!

It was the same old thing every single day for the Prince of the Ikreatus Kingdom. Being told what to wear and what he was going to be doing that day at what time. Honestly, the blonde haired Prince was sick of it and it was usual for him to skip out on certain lessons or activities simply because he didn't feel like going to them or they didn't catch his interest. The only thing that really caught his interest was his childhood friend whom now worked as a butler at the castle. Sure, they still got to see each other everyday but it wasn't the same because it was always business as usual for his friend. Sighing, Ryuji leaned back on the sofa that was in his bedchambers as he looked up at the ceiling. 

_Knock, knock, knock!_

"Your Highness, I've come to bring you your lunch."

That voice! If there was one voice he looked forward to hearing everyday it was Akira's voice. Akira was his childhood friend and the two of them used to spend a lot of time together back when Ryuji didn't have to worry about being a 'Prince worthy of the throne' as his father had so lightly put it. Him and Akira used to get into all kinds of trouble together when they were younger and he loved it but ever since they got older they spent less and less time around each other. It wasn't by choice and it irritated him that they seemed to be drifting apart because that wasn't something he wanted at all. Over the years he'd come to terms with the fact that he had feelings for his friend but he hadn't acted on them for fear of rejection. If there was one thing he didn't want to do it was ruin their friendship and the way that it was always business with Akira these days did he even want to be around Ryuji or was he just becoming a nuisance to the other?

The sound of the door opening caught his attention and Ryuji couldn't help but wave lazily at the other, a pout like frown on his lips. "Hey, haven't seen you all day...busy day?" He watched as Akira pushed the cart that contained his lunch over and began to place things on the small table for him that sat in front of the sofa. Blinking, he waited for a response from his butler, glancing up at his friend to take in his features. It wasn't fair, he couldn't act out on his feelings because he didn't want to hurt the other or damage their friendship but Akira was just so beautiful to him. Those gorgeous lashes, his curly black hair that seemed to frame his face perfectly and those beautiful charcoal colored hues that could take his breath away with one look. Honey brown eyes drifted, looking to Akira's lips for a moment, what would it be like to kiss them? They looked so soft a--- Whoa! Slow down, slow down Ryuji! Tearing his gaze away he'd relaized he'd been staring but did Akira notice?

"You shouldn't slouch like that, Your Highness. It's bad for your back." Akira's voice cut through the silence finally, "Then again, I could tell you anything and you'd still avoid your lessons for such things." Knowing full well that Ryuji skipped lessons all the time he smiled slyly as he stole a glance at the blonde. 

"So what? Man, you know I hate all that boring crap. Who cares how I walk or whatever?" Ryuji immediately reached for the plate that the darker haired male had set down. It was mostly full of freshly cooked meat but it did have its vegetables of course because Akira made sure that his Prince had a balanced meal. That's right, he considered the other **his** Prince even if he didn't voice it aloud. The butler had feelings for his friend but he had his reasons for not voicing them just yet. He was waiting for the right time to do such a thing.

A small hum came from Akira, charcoal hues on his friend once more, "Does that mean you haven't been taking your dancing lessons for the upcoming masquerade ball your father is holding either." Raising a brow his lips curled into yet another sly smile as he adjusted his glasses and stood up straight. Ryuji stayed silent and instead went about eating to try and dodge the question which elicited a small chuckle from the butler. "I'll take your silence as a yes--"

"Who cares man? I don't want to learn any of that irritating crap, you know that." He growled under his breath and set his plate down on the table but when he went to look back at darker haired male he felt his face heat up at the cat like grin on the other's face. That was Akira's scheming face, that feline like grin curling his lips and the look in his eyes was one that could make anyone fall for him instantly. "What? What're you looking at me like that for?"

Crossing his arms Akira parted his lips to respond, "It seemed my suspicions were correct and so was me going to your father about it." Just as Ryuji went to respond he took a step closer, leaning down to place a gloved finger to his lips, silencing him. "I wasn't finished speaking, Your Highness. It's rude to interrupt." Seeing the faint blush on the blonde's cheeks made him want to chuckle but he held back from doing so, this was part of his plan after all. Removing his finger from Ryuji's lips he stood up straight and continued, "As I was saying, I spoke to your father and he also confirmed that you were skipping dance lessons. Knowing that, I suggested that I teach you instead of someone else."

Wait, what?! Akira was going to be teaching him how to dance?! Oh man, there's no way Ryuji could get through this without wanting to kiss the guy, what the hell was he going to do?! No, just calm down Ryuji, you can do this. On one hand this was bad because he knew his feelings for Akira were pretty strong but on the other hand this was great news because it meant spending more time with Akira and getting to him more often. Grabbing for his plate again he finally responded, "Yeah, well, it's totally going to have to wait until **after** I finish eating."

A small chuckle escaped the butler this time, "Of course but I regret to inform you that the lessons will start tomorrow as I have some other things to tend to for the rest of the day." Bowing to him for just a moment he stood up once more and adjusted his glasses, "If you need anything at all for the rest of the day please tell one of the guards to come and retrieve me." Giving Ryuji one last sly smile he turned on his heel and made his way out of the room, his coat tails swaying with him as he did so. 

Upon hearing the click of the door Ryuji finally lost it, "Oh man, there's no way I'm going to get through this without practically losin' it." Just thinking about being alone with the guy and knowing they were going to be so close when dancing stressed him out. Shaking his head he started to eat once more, he'd worry about everything tomorrow. For now, his food was definitely more important.


	2. Chapter 2

Taking a deep breath Ryuji stood at the doors to the main ballroom, closing his eyes as he placed his hands wrapped around the intricate rose gold handles adorned with a delicate engraving of thorny roses. On the other side of the doors Akira was waiting for him, the guy who looked like he was literally sculpted by the angels and Ryuji, well, he was supposed to dance with him. Rather, he had to learn how to dance since he kept skipping out on all of his lessons and Akira caught him red handed. Nothing ever got past Akira when it came to him did it, that was proof that they'd always been friends for sure. Just as he was getting lost in his thoughts Ryuji heard soft music start to play on the other side of the doors and the thought of Akira being so close to him as they danced came rushing back to him. Feeling his face heat up he tightened his grip on the handles for a moment as he took another deep breath.

In the next moment the Prince pushed one of the doors open part way, walking inside as he closed the door behind him. Honey brown hues looked from the floor to Akira and he could almost hear his heart pounding in his ears he was so nervous. Ryuji knew that he couldn't dance but Akira definitely could so at least he had a decent teacher. 

"I was beginning to wonder if you would show up at all." That was half a lie though, Akira **knew** the other would show up if he was going to be teaching him. If there was one thing he was already aware of it was that Ryuji was crushing on him. Good, that would makes things go far more smoothly in the future once the ball came around. Turning his body fully towards Ryuji as the Prince made his way over Akira bowed politely to him, "Your Highness.." Standing back up he placed one hand behind his back, extending a gloved hand to him with his palm turned upwards, "May I have this dance?" That cat-like grin curled his lips once more, charcoal hues locked onto those honey brown ones.

Ryuji was used to Akira bowing to him but given the situation he found his cheeks sporting a light shade of pink as he rubbed the back of his neck. Don't panic, Ryuji, you can totally do this. Looking back at Akira their gazes locked causing him to shift where he stood. Glancing down at the extended hand he hesitantly reached out, "Uh yeah...sure" Taking the outstretched hand he was pulled closer to Akira, stumbling a bit since he hadn't been expecting it. "Whoa! Hey, careful, you can't just go pullin' people like that, Akira.." Regaining his balance he frowned, giving the other quite the pleading look.

"My apologies, I thought you were paying attention, Your Highness." Adjusting Ryuji into the appropriate stance for a waltz Akira frowned when he saw that the other had his face turned away, "Forgive me but.." Removing his hand from the small of the Prince's back he gently took a hold of his chin, turning his head so that the two of them locked gazes. A sly smile pulled at the corner of his lips from the shade of red that took place on the blonde's face. "When dancing you should always acknowledge your partner, look at them as you dance. You wouldn't want them to feel as if you're ignoring them, would you?"

"Uh, yeah...sure thing." The fabric of Akira's glove was really soft to the touch and just the feeling of it made him think back to yesterday when that very fabric was pressed softly against his lips. _Lips._ Stealing a glance at Akira's lips Ryuji was practically freaking out internally, they were so close it was almost like some sot of dream! Suddenly the warmth on his chin was removed and the Prince snapped back to reality, the cool air hitting the spot the glove had been just moments ago. Feeling Akira place his hand back where it had been before he forced him to turn his head he swallowed thickly. There was no way he was going to make it through this without completely losing it, no way in hell.

Finally, Akira took the lead in the waltz but of course Ryuji stepped right on his feet....several times to be exact. "Oh my, I knew didn't know how to dance but I wasn't expecting this." Another sly smile pulled at the corners of his mouth as Ryuji reacted.

"Shuddup! You already knew I was bad at dancing!" Face red he continued to follow the other's lead.

Chuckling, he gave Ryuji's hand a light squeeze, "Relax, Your Highness. I'm sure you'll get better at dancing. After all, the Masquerade Ball is in a week's time so you don't really have much time left to practice." That elicited a sigh from Ryuji because it meant they'd be dancing together every day up until the ball.

~~~

Just as Ryuji was starting to get the hang of it the music in the room stopped and Akira loosened his hold on him. "What's up? Are we don---" Akira's lips on the top of his hand made him tense, eyes widening as he froze up and became unsure of how to speak for a moment. What the **hell** was that?! 

Acting surprised Akira let go of his hand and bowed to him "Forgive me, it seems that I got a little carried away there." Standing back up he smiled softly, "You did great today, a little more practice and you'll be ready to dance and steal the hearts of many at the ball in no time. I suggest you head back to your bed chambers for the evening, dinner should be ready shortly. Bowing one last time Akira excused himself before heading out of the ballroom leaving a still shocked Ryuji standing there.

Hearing the door to the ballroom open and then shut finally reeled the blonde back in to reality. "For real?! Dude, what the hell man?" Stomping his foot he turned on his heel and headed straight back to his room. Once he was back in his room he fell back on his bed, brows furrowing as he frowned, "Man, there's no way this is fair. This has got to be life punishing me or somethin'. First he's all gentle with me and then he goes and pulls that kind of stunt? Ugh.." If this was the way things went today he had a feeling that it was going to get even worse for him..in the best way possible of course.

Placing his hand over where his heart was his facial expression softened and he felt his face heat up once again. His heart was still pounding like this from a simple kiss to the hand that didn't mean anything? If that's the way this was going he knew he'd crack before their dancing lessons were to come to an end.


	3. Chapter 3

It was now nearing the end of Ryuji's first week of dancing lessons and he was currently in the middle of another. Akira was leading as usual, carrying Ryuji through the motions while taking note to see if the blonde was getting the hang of it and after about a full week of practice he was showing major improvement. While part of him was proud of the other for picking up on the movements there was another side of him that wasn't quite pleased enough yet. Sure, Ryuji new how to follow but could he **lead** a dance? Halting their movements Akira released his hold on the other, the music still playing in the background. "Hmm.." Akira began to peel his gloves off as he locked gazes with the Prince.

Raising a brow, Ryuji rubbed the back of his head as he glanced from Akira's face to his hands and then back again. Why was he removing his gloves? "What are you doin' that for? Are they dirty or somethin'?" Nice, what a dumb question to ask Ryuji. The blonde knew full well there was practically never a speck of dirt or anything on the other male's uniform so why ask such a dumb question? Mentally cursing himself for asking something so stupid when he already knew the answer he was shocked at what Akira demanded of him next.

"Knowing how to follow the lead is good and all but I think it's about time you learned to lead. You've watched me enough, haven't you?" There it was, that sly smile because he knew-- **he knew** that Ryuji watched his every move from the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed to the way the hair fell in front of his face if he moved his head a certain way. Akira was more than aware that his every move was watched by the other and that didn't bother him one bit, that was the way he liked it. The butler enjoyed being the center of all the Prince's attention because it meant that he only had eyes for him and that was all the motivation he needed to keep his plan going.

Standing in front of Ryuji, Akira was waiting patiently for the blonde to properly invite him to dance. Tilting his head slightly he narrowed his eyes a bit until the other finally responded, "Ah, r-right!" Ah, yes, there it was. The cute little sound of him stuttering over his words because Ryuji now had to act like a proper Prince and ask him to dance as if he were a guest at the Masquerade Ball. 

The blonde stepped forward, one hand behind his back as he extended his hand just as Akira had done every time they started dance lessons for the day. "Uh...so...may I have this dance?" Akira smiled in return and Ryuji swore he felt his hear skip a beat for a moment when he felt the other's hand in his as they moved closer to one another to prepare for the waltz. That's when it hit him, Akira wasn't wearing gloves so he was touching his hands. His facial expression softened, cheeks flushing a light shade of pink. Akra's hands were soft and delicate, long slender fingers intertwined with his own and he was nearly lost in his thoughts until Akira spoke.

"Your Highness, your hand is not in the proper position at all and you have yet to move. I do believe we're supposed to be dancing rather than standing." He chuckled and waited for the reaction that was sure to come from the other.

His hand was in the wrong--- What? Their hands were supposed to be-- Oh! That's when he realized that he didn't have his other hand placed on the small of Akira's back but rather the same spot he always placed it. Furrowing his brows he frowned, "Shuddup, it's not my fault! It was just habit was all." Swallowing thickly, the Prince slowly moved his hand his friend's back, realizing just how slender and toned he really was as he did so. At this point Ryuji was beyond convinced that Akira really had been sculpted by the angels themselves because everything about him was unreal but beautiful.

"Much better, _Your Highness_." Akira nearly mocked him playfully, causing Ryuji to growl under his breath as his face reddened before finally beginning to lead the other in a waltz.

~~~

As the lesson came to a close and the music stopped, the few musicians in the room leaving, Ryuji reluctantly let go of his friend's hand and removed his hand from the small of his back. Taking a step back he watched as the other male slid his white gloves back over those slender fingers.

"You did rather well today, I think it would be best if you lead the dance in future lessons." Charcoal hues slid to look at Ryuji now, some of his curly ebony locks falling in front of his face. "After all, you'll be leading whomever it is that you decide to dance with at the ball." Just as he as about to take his leave the butler held up a finger, "Just a moment, I'd nearly forgotten." At this Ryuji raised a brow, waiting for him to continue, "It seems as though your father believes a thief might try to steal some valuable jewels from the castle on the night of the ball. He has personally asked me to relay the message to you, asking that should you see anything suspicious you report it to him immediately." A smirk pulled at his lips as he bowed before taking his leave.

Hearing the door to the ballroom click shut Ryuji shook his head, frowning softly, "The only one acting weird around here is you, Akira..." Lately it seemed like his friend had been doing anything and everything possible to fluster him and make him trip up but why? Was he doing it on purpose? Was he angry at him for something? Sighing, he rubbed the back of his head, "Man, this sucks....I feel like I'm bein' punished for something and I don't even know what it is I did." Turning, he headed back to his bedroom, only a week of this classes left anyway, right? Then things would go back to normal and he'd barely see Akira anymore just like usual.


End file.
